James Books

A must read for all new woodworkers before accumulating all the power tools they think they need.
More than a great instructional book; it is also a philosophy.

Some people just call it furniture - author and craftsman James Krenov, however, believes it be an art form. "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" is a guide to turn what's nothing more than storage space to some into a work of art that can be appreciated for something far more than just a place to put things. Going over everything readers need to make a masterpiece of a cabinet, such as wood quality, good hinges, and more, "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" leaves nothing to guesswork, making it highly recommended to any woodworking enthusiast and community library woodworking shelves.

Mr. Krenov's work speaks for itself. What is great about this book is he shares with us his feel for wood , and it's spirit. He is a wood fanatic. He is excited by its touch, look and feel. How long should I keep a piece of wood before I use it? Moisture content? Integrating the wood and the piece I am making?

Each persons experience of wood and woodworking is different. I have technical books, written well, and some poorly.

This could be called "Zen and the art of woodworking."

When I need inspiration I look to the masters. Mr. Kenov connects me to the wood.

James Krenov is one of woodworking's treasures - an acknowledged master craftsman who is open about both his aesthetics and his techniques. For many of us he is a role model who started out on a shoe string in Sweden and has gone on to create a whole style all his own. He is as devoted to teaching as he is to his work and has a gift for inspiration and straightforward exposition.

Unlike A Cabinet Maker's Notebook, The Fine Art of Cabinet Making spends most of its time talking about technique. The first 50 pages is a vast, rambling essay on wood and how to relate to it. His point, an important on, is that the process of selecting and using wood is every bit as important and any other creative process. If you pay attention you will get a deep dive into the way Krenov's designs come to be - a whole new level beyond buying some dimensioned lumber and whipping up a cabinet.

Then he introduces you to his workshop and tools. Krenov actually does use power tools, but sparingly. Many of us have been taught to value the clean, sharp edged work that a modern power woodshop can produce. Krenov is just the opposite, to him the marks of craftsmanship are part of the harmony of the work. Krenov makes his own planes, and spends a great deal of time explaining how to do the same yourself. I have to admit I'm quite happy with my Lie-Nielson's, but one has to admire the intensity of a man who wants everything 'just so.'

The remainder of the book covers details of Krenov's cabinetmaking, and it is here that you discover the extent of his quality. Whether it be dovetails, delicately curved doors, or cabinet backs, Krenov never settles for less than the best he can do. I admit to a few moments of extreme jealousy when he explains that he never clamps dovetail joints, but, as his discussion demonstrates, his attention to detail is such that he shouldn't have to use clamps. I just wonder how many years of practive it will take to accomplish the same thing.

For all that this is a technically focused book, it is also an inspiring one. A book that will have you eyeing potential lumber completely differently, and making yourself take the time to get things right.

I love all of Krenov's books. It's easy to find better books on tools or techniques but nowhere will you find books that breathe a love for wood and craft more than Krenov's (Nakashima's "The Soul of a Tree" comes closest.) I've read through each of his books several times and always pick up on something new. "The Fine Art of Cabinet Making" is a bit more advanced than his earlier works in that he covers coopered doors and frame-and-panel work but his philosophy is always evident. Krevnov's love for wood is infectious. After reading his books you find yourself `playing' more with wood. Wondering how things will work if you move this one way and that another. Instead of churning out furniture I instead start to think about the piece I want to make: what wood would look nice? What kind of pulls will fit? How will it sound when the door closes? Somehow all of this combines to make the journey (the making) as nice as the end product. Frankly I think most furniture makers will go broke trying to work like this unless you have a whole lot of cash behind you or can charge very expensively for your work. I really think, though, that these books should be on every woodworker's shelf.

Fluke tells the tale of an abandoned dog named Fluke that has past life memories of being a man, a man that was evidently murdered. Fluke then goes on an odyssey to find his home, his family, and his killer. Getting there alternates between funny and frightening. Herbert shows genuine skill as a fantasist here and I wish it was a talent that he tried explore more often, as this is his best novel.

This book is a delightful and wondrous tale told by a writer who is best known by his forays into the Horror Genre.Author James Hebert abandons his usual ghosts and scares and takes the reader on a marvellous journey through the eyes of a dog , Fluke who was once a man in a previous life. In this book we see Fluke trying desperately to regain his life as a man as he goes on a journey to find his Human Family.Read this book and then give it to your children to read as it is a enchanting story for young and old.

This is a surprise. With Herbert, you usually got a gore-fest, and when I started reading this book about a man who finds himself in a dog's body, I imagined there would be lurid descriptions of dogs ripping apart other living things, probably humans. Far from it. This book is as cleverly written and as skilfully told as anything by Richard Matheson or Jonathan Aycliffe, and I do not make such comparisons lightly. `Fluke' describes the dog's (told in the first person-or should that be in the first dog?) quest to discover his previous humanness. It is a journey both of discovery and self-awareness. Herbert vividly describes what it (probably) feels like to be a dog, capturing the world of smells and canine desires; and the lingering sense of his previous humanity that propels him to discover who he was before he became a dog. The ending is moving without being sentimental. An unusual and satisfying book and one that I can fully recommend.

This book is as beautiful, moving, riveting, and profound as its film version, and explains further the concept of reincarnation. A man returns to life on Earth as a dog...trying desperately to adjust to his new life, he is constantly beset by confusing flashbacks to his former life as a man. Why is he one of the few who remember? And should he go back home to find his human family? These questions and more are answered in "Fluke."

I've read this book many times and still find it fascinating; it's written simply but beautifully, in language anyone can appreciate fully. The author obviously has a vivid mind and understands how the world looks through a dog's eyes; or perhaps he has been a dog in past lives. I know that I have. I highly recommend this lovely, exciting adventure.

It was a dog's life for Fluke the puppy until the images that had been haunting his canine mind came into sharp focus - he wasn't supposed to be a dog, he was actually a MAN! How had he ended up in this furry body? What of his wife, his child? What of HIM? Soon, though, the truth came - he the man had died, and had been reincartnated as a dog. And the visions hinted that he had been murdered! This begins a quest as Fluke sets out to his old town, determined to deliver out justice to whoever murdered him...An excellent book and a personal favorite of mine. But the best part of all was Fluke. He remained at all times a dog, even though he had human intelligence and memories, rather than some bizarre mix of human and animal that all too many books have. Fluke's friend Rumbo is also an enjoyable character, even if he did have a passion for crime. One of the best, well-written and beautiful stories I have ever read.

This book takes place in the early 1800's in Massachuetts. Two young men, both Irish-Catholics are convicted and hung for a murder they did not commit. Their only "crime" was their nationality and religion. The book describes in great details the many injustices these two innocent men endured, from their arrest, the way they were treated in jail, and to their so called trial and their hanging. It was 200 years later that the state of Massachuetts proclaimed their innocence. This book will teach you lessons in our history as to just how some of our immigrants were treated. It will bring tears to your eyes.

It's 1806 in predominantly Protestant Massachusetts. Dirt-poor Irish Catholics are regarded with emotions running the scale from indifference to loathing. The Catholic Church clings to a tenuous foothold, walking a shaky tightrope while attending to its flock of Irish immigrants. None other than Sam Adams warns Massachusetts' citizens: `As you value your precious civil liberty and everything you call dear to you, be on the guard against Popery.'

Into this mix gallop two hapless, real-life Irishmen, the subjects of author White's fictionalized account of the murder of one Marcus Lyon, whose lifeless body was found near the Boston Post Road in 1805. Dominic Daley and James Hallinan stand accused of bludgeoning and robbing Lyon, leaving him partially buried by rocks, after stuffing their pockets with his money. Although the state locates no eyewitness to the murder, the illiterate Daley and drifter Hallinan are found holding money---notes drawn on Lyon's bank. Worse yet they are Irishmen. Bound over for trial, the pair languishes in a dark, damp dungeon for six months alternately freezing and broiling, not allowed to bathe regularly, or to see visitors. Legal counsel is nonexistent.

Daley's mother, the indomitable Rose, and Daley's faithful wife Finola, seek an ally in a local priest, Frenchman Father Jean Cheverus, a man tortured by his own demons. What we know about Cheverus is that he escaped the massacre of priests who refused to sign loyalty oaths during the Jacobin's assault on the white-walled Convent of the Carmes---The Garden of Martyrs---during the French Revolution. White's fictionalized Cheverus, however, gets hunted down by an angry mob on the streets of Paris and denies three times that he is a priest, thus avoiding a sure beheading. A haunted Cheverus immigrates to America where, unable to forgive himself for his denial, he assumes an associate role to Father Matignon in the fledgling parish of mostly Irish Catholics.

Feeling inadequate and fearful, Father Cheverus hesitates to act on Finola Daley's petition to him to seek better treatment for the prisoners from Massachusetts Attorney General James Sullivan. Further, Cheverus is hesitant to buck the Protestant status quo in a state where Sullivan and Governor Caleb Strong crawl over each other to prove who is tougher on the burgeoning papist scum. Curiously, along the way Sullivan forgets that his forbears hailed from County Limerick.

Believing in the probable guilt of the accused pair, Cheverus is allowed to travel to Northampton, Massachusetts, to visit Hallinan and Daley and hear their confessions. With Finola and Daley's young son in tow, Cheverus arrives in a town gripped by lynch-mob mentality. Ignoring the taunts of local toughs, Father Cheverus goes through an epiphany, consumed by the thought that he's now fulfilling prophesy of his late mother who told him he would do great deeds for others during his priesthood. Father Cheverus is further astounded by Daley's confession as the accused refuses to acknowledge killing Marcus Lyon. Then Hallinan tells the priest something that the prisoner has never told anyone----that he abandoned his pregnant girlfriend Bridey in Ireland, after promising to marry her. Almost on cue, Father Cheverus describes his own tormenting moment of weakness on the streets of Paris. Emotions of self-absolution overcome both men.


The author's meticulous research uncovers a blight of prosecutorial misconduct at trial, including the judge's instructions to the jury to disregard holes shot in the testimony of the state's lead witness, thirteen-year-old Laertes Fuller, who constructs an improbable murder-scene timeframe. Allowed an impossible three days to prepare a defense, attorney Francis Blake does a credible job, leaving no doubt that Daley and Hallinan are on trial for the crime of being Irish. Unable to testify in their own behalf, only the word of young Fuller, who claims he saw Daley leading Lyon's horse near the road, is damning. Unable to convince anyone except Father Cheverus and Daley's wife that they found Lyon's money near the murder scene, the end is never in doubt. To the delight of a frenzied throng, Daley and Hallinan hang in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1806.

In 1984 Governor Michael Dukakis exonerates Dominic Daley and James Hallinan of the murder of Marcus Lyon, citing religious and ethnic intolerance of the period, failure of the prosecution to allow attorney Francis Blake time needed to prepare a defense, and for failing to allow the accused to enlist witnesses.


Michael White authored the acclaimed novel A Brother's Blood. He is a professor at Fairfield University and lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two children.

I have always been a fan of Michael C. White's work. He is one of our most talented contemporary authors, as his latest book proves. White transports the reader from Boston in the 1800s to France during the Revolution with seemingly effortless prose rich in historical detail. Readers will truly care for White's deeply drawn characters, Daley, Halligan and Cheverus, and will anxiously turn the pages in order to discover the men's fate. This is a deeply moving, impressively researched and wonderfully realized novel- a must read.

Michael C. White has based his novel on a factual incident, which I had never heard of before: a murder in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1805. There are many fine things about this excellently written book, among them a battle for a soul which is the most engrossing I have read since I read Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder(read 18 Mar 1947 - re-read 27 Nov 1982). Usually I prefer a factual account of an event as against a fictional account but in this instance it seems to me that the fictional additions to the account enhance rather than detract from the drama of the events related.

Few of you would be surprised to hear that political expediency sometimes takes priority over sacred duty in Boston's Catholic Church. What Mike White reveals in his fourth novel The Garden of Martyrs, is that in Boston, the Church's craving for secular power and social acceptance has led it to neglect its most vulnerable parishioners from its earliest days.

In a novelization of the true story of two men tried, convicted and hanged for murder in Federalist Massachusetts he vividly portrays an era when the Irish were despised and persecuted by New England's Protestant majority. The only crime these two men committed turned out to be that they were both Irish, and Catholic.

Fictionalizing true crime is an endeavor thwart with danger. White deftly avoids the many traps by focusing on character, drawing deep and psychologically revealing portraits of two men - the Irish defendant, James Halligan, and Boston's French Priest, Father Cheveras.

White weaves the fate of the innocent men into the wider fabric of New England politics. By contrasting the subjective reality of these very different characters, and exploring their European backstories, he shows us how each was forced from their homeland by intolerable conditions, and the hopes and fancies that sustained their migrations.

Through the death row musings of the itinerant Halligan, White skillfully juxtaposes the personal and the political. The injustice done to two innocent men is the injustice done to an ethnic and religious minority.

This book is important because we tend to think of African Americans, Jews and Women as victims of mob hate and witch hunts. Catholic-hating in New England is half forgotten now. White, a Protestant, brings this sorry time to life, reminding us all that today's hatred may end up as tomorrow's shame.

I remember this book from when I was in kindergarten and always being scared, but loving it all the way through. It was filled with all the creepy images and stories that I could ever want, and when Daddy would read it to me in the fall it just put me in the immediate Halloween spirit. Witches, monsters, magic, ghosts, and everything else that any little kid would want in a scary book fill these 32 pages.

This story deserves a 5 out of 5, for its nostalgia, ability to invoke a spooky feeling, and overall fantasy and storyline.

My sister and I used to read this book together all the time as kids. About 2 years ago we started to think about it again, but our copy was long gone by then. We have been trying for 2 years to remember the title, and have been searching online relentlesly. I can't believe it, but today I finally found it!!!!! I bought a copy from another site, and I can't wait until it comes. And the thing is, I have not seen my sister in almost 2 years, and she is coming in to visit tomorrow! Hopefully it will arrive while she is still here, so we can get together with our children and read it once again! I highly recommend this book. If you share it with your children I guarantee they will someday share it with THEIR children!

I read this book in Kindergarden and have never forgot it through all these years. I hope to own a copy soon. The only book I remember from back then.

I read this book when I was in elementary school. I am now 25 years old, and I still remember this book. Over the years, I have found myself thinking of this book now and then and wishing I had a copy of it in my possession.

This book was a special friend of mine. It was there for me on rainy days, sunny days and very sad days. I can recall once being very sad about something, and remembering that I had checked the book out from the school library (I often did), and I lay down on my bead and curled up with this book. I can remember my sadness vanishing instantly as I was pulled into the spooky, yet delightful magical world of Grandpa's Ghost Stories. The tears that first fell on the pages of the book were certainly the last ones of the day for me.

Because of this book, I have always LOVED rain storms and thunder and lightening storms, they actually make me feel cozy.

No other books in the world have ever had this kind of effect on me, with the possible exception of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark trilogy.

It is very tragic that this book is no longer in print, and I anxiously await the day that it is available again at a reasonable price.

I highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone, but especially to anyone who enjoys a good, spooky tale. This is a treasure. Do yourself a BIG favor and discover it for yourself and for your children.

I believe I speak for everyone on this list, when I say this book is one of the best, if not the best children's books of all time. For me, and many others (at least on this review board) this book was a life changing experience. I find my experience with the book is quite similar to most of the others on this page. I found the book in my elementary school library, and loved it. I checked it out every time I could get the chance, and read it over and over. I highly recommend this book, for all ages. The stories are wonderful, the illustrations are fantastic... A true classic!

I bought this book when it was first published and used it as a primer to learn how to cook. It is highly practical with the chapters arranged by technique (boiling, braising, sauteing, etc). And it is well illustrated with simple drawings that effectively communicate how to execute those techniques. I would recommend it to anyone, especially those who are just learning to cook. Unfortunately, even though it was re-issued a few years ago in both hardcover and paperback, the used booksellers think this book must be worth its weight in gold. It isn't. If you can find a copy in good condition at a reasonable price, consider buying it. If not, look for James Peterson's -Essentials of Cooking- which, in many ways, is a superior book and should be available at a sane price.

Selection, technique and associated recipes from this legend make this a book one turns to often. Mine is worn out from over fifteen years of usage. You'll put it profit in your kitchen.

This is the classic of American cooking, the first cookbook to own and the one you go back to all your life.
Beard had a brilliant sense for food, and in this book he shares concepts and approaches, explaining the equipment you use, and the techniques, methodically, clearly and with his particular elan.
Anyone can follow this book. But between the recipes presented throughout the book (organized in the unusual manner of by technique - things you boil, things you bake, things you roast, etc.) and the concordance (organized by food), you can find great recipes and just plain information and direction to help you make just about enough food to last a lifetime.
I brought it with me to France and still rely on it.

This classy reprint of a standard cooking guide deserves a spot on the shelf of any serious cook's collection: this edition provides an introduction by Julia Child and a foreword by Barbara Kafka as it covers the basics methods and ingredients of good cooking, with a healthy dose of Beard's philosophy added for spice.

A must for anyone who loves good food. I bought my copy about 20 years ago in my bachelor days, and still refer to it regularly. If you can learn the techniques in this book and in "From Julia Child's Kitchen," you'll be in the 99th percentile of home cooks. Add a couple of Pierre Franey's 60-Minute Gourmet or Cuisine Rapide volumes, and you and yours will eat well for life.

This is it, the complete and authoritative definition of the Java programming language. This edition covers the Java language up to 1.5, so it gives a full description of generics and type parameters, boxing and unboxing, enums, annotation, and all the latest. If you develop Java language tools - debuggers, compilers, etc. - you simply must have this book. If you care about Java details that much, you must have the newest edition.

The typical programmer, someone who uses Java for application development, probably won't find much of interest in this book. This isn't a programmer's how-to manual. Nearly nothing describes how to use the language features. The code samples just illustrate language syntax and subtleties. There's nearly no discussion of the Java APIs, not even the java.lang.* packages or language-dependent reflection features. These are not flaws in this reference manual - this simply isn't a book meant to serve those needs.

Despite its 650+ pages, this really is a concise, precise definition of the Java 1.5 programming language. If you care about the internals of Java or about OO lnaguages in general, then this book is for you.

//wiredweird

Are you the type that has to know the "why" and "how" behind how a language behaves? Then this is the book you need... The Java Language Specification, Third Edition by James Gosling, Bill Joy, Guy Steele, Gilad Bracha. Provided you're buying it for the right reason, there's nothing close to it.

Contents: Introduction; Grammars; Lexical Structure; Types, Values, and Variables; Conversions and Promotions; Names; Packages; Classes; Interfaces; Arrays; Exceptions; Execution; Binary Compatibility; Blocks and Statements; Expressions; Definite Assignment; Threads and Locks; Syntax; Index

So why do I say "for the right reason"? Because if you pick it up expecting something else, you'll be highly disappointed. This is *not* a tutorial of the language, nor is it an easy-to-read conversation or discussion of Java. Instead, it's a computer engineering level coverage of how Java is structured and how it works, from the people who wrote it. As such, you're going to find information in here that you'll have a hard time getting elsewhere. You'll find out how the nitty-gritty of how things like classes and interfaces work, and how they *should* be structured. If you're just getting started in Java, you'll likely be over your head by the second chapter. The target of this type of writing would be people who are Java journeymen, and who have gotten to the point where they need to know some of the theory behind features and structure. You'll also need a book like this if you write development tools that target the Java environment. Armed with this book and a solid background in Java, you'll be able to produce software that behaves just as developers would expect.

Don't let the depth and complexity of the material steer you away from the book if you're ready to go deeper with Java. Just don't pick up the book expecting to learn Java for the first time. There are better books out there for that purpose. But if you need to understand the guts of Java, this is it.

The Java Language Specification, The Java Programming Language Guide (4th Edition), and the SJCP Study Guide for Java 5 (Sierra, Bates) are essential to passing the SJCP exam. The Java Language Specification gives you the important technical details that textbooks tend to leave out. The best way to use this book is to make small, simple test programs for each chapter or topic (the programs that the authors provide are too cryptic for my taste). This book is not a tutorial and you should have the level of knowledge aquired by studying the Java textbooks by Walter Savitch and/or Daniel Liang. It's also a good idea to have Head First Java (2nd Edition, Sierra, Bates) in your bookshelf with the others - plus anything by Cay Horstmann (Core Java I and Core Java II.)

Just the book for the java hungry community. For those that are pressed for cash and cannot afford the book just yet you can visit the java dot sun website to download a pdf version of this book with minor cosmetic changes dealing with copyright. The integrity of the book is otherwise intact. The directory to look for is docs->books->jls. Cheers

This book is essential for learning Java, and should be read by anyone serious about learning the language. Pay special attention to the example programs, as they highlight special cases and subtleties that are not explained in other books, and often misconstrued by the authors of other books.

Bear in mind that this books is available for free from Sun Microsystems's web site. They offer it in either HTML or in PDF. So you can save some money.

Well written, with really interesting vignettes of Eleanor's life. I found this to be one of the most (personally) motivational books I've read in a long time. It's a story of overcoming the odds, and bucking the social norms of her day, to voice her passion for particular social issues. I also appreciated the tie-in to current leadership theory and thinking...with great examples of her approach to people and problems.

This is the only nonfiction book I've ever read and completed voluntarily. In fact it is the only "self-help" book...which I think it fits in that category...that I have read past the first chapter. It is extremely compellingly written. I don't know whether it's the subject matter, or Dr. Gerber's style, but I started the book on an airplane, and was unable to put it down. It is for sure the only nonfiction book I have ever read that made me cry. Dr. Gerber makes points about leadership..what makes good leaders, the special role that women have in nuturing families, and how that is completely unrecognized in our society as having any value in preparring women for professional positions...how the simple concept of having passion for the cause you are leading is essential for effective leadership.....she makes these points in a deceptively casual conversational manner where you don't feel like she's teaching you, but in the end you realize you have learned a great deal...about life, about leading, and about yourself. Where I cried was where she said you have to be authentic in what you are leading.....meaning (I think) that you have to BELIEVE in it, which is different from having passion. Such a simple concept, but so true. How many leaders do you see, that truly believe in what they are doing? vs how many chairmen of departments do you see that appear to be there for the accrutriments?
This book literally changed my life. sounds ridiculous, but it did. Made me do a LOT of soulsearching.
I urge anyone, male or female, wondering whether you are leading as effectively as you can, or wondering whether you should be taking on a leadership position, to read this.

After reading about Colin Powel's style, Bush's War and Guiliani's book on Leadership, it was a nice break to read about one of history's greatest first ladies--Eleanor Roosevelt. It also served as a checkpoint for myself to have a peek at the early 20th century and the beginnings of the UN in light of recent events. This book was written by Robin Gerber who is a senior scholar at the Academy of Leadership which is part of the University of Maryland. Not only a biography of Eleanor, it's also a how-to on leadership and includes side information about how other women implement Eleanor's style in their lives today.
Key Takeaways:
Give Voice to Your Leadership--ER did not start out a brilliant and inspiring public speaker, she had to practice at it. She eventually managed to be an effective communicator through both speech and her writing in columns. She held press conferences at the White House for women reporters only--she identified an audience she could reach and began speaking to them.
Embrace Risk--despite many folks including herself being unsure of her and her role, at Truman's request ER took on a role within the formation of the UN and went on to be a leading proponant of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She took this on shortly after the death of FDR--a time when she could have retired. Instead she started on a second life.
Never Stop Learning--this keeps coming up in the lives of leaders--they have an interest in the world and learning about it. ER traveled extensively in the latter part of her life and took a good deal of interest in learning about the world and the various cultures enhabiting it. She traveled throughout the middle east and India. She also used her columns, and speeches as a tool to educate others.

At 46, I found the book both affirming and inspiring. Ms. Gerber shows, through the life of the great ER, how painful life experiences can enhance both self awareness and empathy, and even more amazingly, how suffering a betrayal can be liberating. Her discussion on the special leadership skills developed through motherhood make clear the public interest in cultivating women leaders. The book is both a very accesible, good read and an effective step-by-step leadership guide.

At 46, I found the book both affirming and inspiring. Ms. Gerber shows, through the life of the great ER, how painful life experiences can enhance both self awareness and empathy, and even more amazingly, how suffering a betrayal can be liberating. Her discussion on the special leadership skills developed through motherhood make clear the public interest in cultivating women leaders. The book is both a very accesible, good read and an effective step-by-step leadership guide.

What a truly amazing book. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone no matter what the age. The pictures are awesome and so is the story line. And the CD is so well done. I'm surprised everyone doesn't own this book. If you are looking for a book for your children or grandchildren look no farther. This is the book you want to buy.

You can't be without this book if you have 3-6 year old kids. My girls can't get enough of it. The message is one of encouragement, persistence, and self confidence. Eric Drachman is amazing at what he does. The CD character voices seal the deal. A must have along with all the others: Ellison the Elephant and It's Me. A Frog Thing is his newest release and is maybe more appropriate for slightly older kids i.e. 5 and up.

This is a wonderful story for any child who has ever felt left out. Leo is tiny and can't make his light shine. He is teased by the other lightning bugs. His mom tells him to keep trying and he'll succeed. After practicing over and over, he finally figures out how to light his light. The other bugs stop teasing him and he learns to laugh at himself, an important lesson for the younger child. I have a 6 year old and an 8 1/2 year old and they both love this story. The illustrations are wonderful.

I have bought this book for my grandchildren and have enjoyed reading it with them. Beautiful illustrations and lots of fun for young children.

This lovely and lively story became an instant favorite of my two young nephews -- which is saying a lot considering that their bookshelf is well stocked! The CD that accompanies the book (making the price a real bargain) is no afterthought -- it is just as rich in detail and as well-produced as the book itself. And having a CD of the book comes in very handy when the boys are in the mood to hear the story AGAIN (and again and again and again...)

This book is Biblically sound and has great applications for daily life whether you are young or old, married or single. It's vital for women to understand how significant they are in God's eyes, and what better way to find that out than to see how He works in the lives of women from Eve to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and beyond to the Biblical account of Paul's interactions with the women of Philippi. Discover how a woman like Tamar could be called righteous! Men also need to understand this book's message. Christian husbands and all men, especially those in church leadership, will gain much by understanding God's multifaceted roles for women.

Having been a feminist Evangelical Christian for many years (yes, such creatures do exist!), I've read plenty of books on women and the Bible, women in the Bible, and what the Bible says about women. Having had a long break on this subject, I decided to jump back in with this book.

One of the greatest strengths of this book is the author's look at a variety of women and attempting to flesh out their lives. I appreciate her perspective as someone who truly longed to have her life fit the traditional wife and mother role, yet found herself disappointed and confused when that didn't happen. Although my personal path has been different -- I'm ambivalent on the idea of perhaps someday having a husband and kids (and having worked with kids for a few years I find myself even more convinced that they're great for awhile, but then I'm ready to send them home); this was in fact one of the reasons I became a feminist (I got so frustrated with people telling me that I must LONG to be married and have kids when I did not in fact have this desire, and felt God calling me in other directions, at least for the time being) -- I could appreciate the hard questions she asked herself. Furthermore, I appreciated some of her responses. Throughout history, countless women have ended up living their whole lives without ever becoming a wife or mother. Some longed to but never received that joy; others felt no particular interest or knew they were called in other directions. Many of those women were genuine Christians trying to follow God. Logically, if these two paths were God's only calling for women, why did some never get that chance? And why were many of the women who never did get the chance still considered holy followers of God?

I also enjoyed the women she looked at. Some of the women -- Sarah, Esther, and the two Marys, among others -- are frequently written about or discussed. Others get more scant mention. I think my favorite chapter was about Hagar. I have long loved her, and loved the way that God turned His gaze towards a lowly slave considered just property by her owners. The chapter on Tamar was also good, although a part of me was a bit surprised. I hadn't heard many comments about her, and although at one point in time I had thought she hadn't acted well I eventually came to the conclusion that she was acting in the most righteous way she could see (note that she doesn't pretend to be a prostitute until years of waiting have shown her she has no other option, and she doesn't linger to find a few more customers just in case she didn't get pregnant from Judah; she very deliberately enticed one of two men -- the other being Judah's third son -- that was legally required to provide what she had to get by tricking him). It surprised me to hear that Tamar had such a bad reputation in many Christian circles. Be that as it may, I felt like the author did a good job of drawing out the specific circumstances in her life and pointing out that although her exact methods might no longer be appropriate, her desires and ultimate motives do provide a positive example.

I only had one major criticism of the book (well, two, but the second is merely a matter of personal taste). Much of her fleshing out of the biblical characters came from logical consideration of both the text and of the way that humans usually act. None of her conclusions and guesses were far-fetched. Sometimes, however, she forgot that they were guesses and called them facts. For example, she wrote that "Hannah always felt the enormity of her sacrifice, as any mother would." Or about Mary Magdalene that, "Mary wasn't seeking Jesus.... Mary was a demoniac... [who] wanted Jesus to go away." Or that, "No matter what happened afterward [i.e., after the Crucifixion], Mary never erased those horrifying images from her memory." Now, none of these surmises are false; in fact, I'm guessing they're true. Hannah undoubtedly felt Samuel's loss all her life. As the author points out, demoniacs in the Bible never sought Jesus out, and Mary probably didn't either. And I can't imagine being able to forget seeing one of your dearest friends tortured as Jesus was. None of these are bad assumptions. Assumptions, however, is the correct name for them. Had the author been more careful about this I would have been happier with the book (this is the reason for the 4 stars).

The other detail that I wished were changed was the women she dealt with. I had no problems with the ones she picked; I just wish she would have picked more! (this is probably a good sign about the quality of the book) As I read it, I kept making a list of other women I would like to have her include in "Lost Women of the Bible II". Some of them included: Rebeckah (sp?), Leah, Rachel, Dinah, the two Hebrew midwives, Miriam, Rahab, the murdered concumbine from Judges (along with Lot's daughters, actually; they could have their own chapter), Deborah (how could she have left out DEBORAH???), Abigail, Bathsheba, Priscilla, Tabitha/Dorcas, the woman at the well, and so on. I would even have liked a look at some of the REAL "bad girls" such as Delilah, Jezebel, or Israel's one reigning queen (Athaliah, I think); a look at their lives, their strengths, and how they used those strengths in sinful ways not intended by God (plus a look at the ways they've been used throughout the ages against women, and any positive lessons we can learn from them) would be interesting reading.

In general, I would highly recommend this book (I was spending most of my reading trying to figure out which friend I was going to loan it to first). It gives cause for thoughtful contemplation of women in the Bible, and what it means to be both a woman following her true God-given calling (which may include marriage and children, both good things given as gifts by God, but may not) and a man encouraging and being encouraged by women doing these things.

I lead a women's bible study for 20 women. Lost Women of the Bible is a wonderful study filled with thought provoking ideas and questions for reflection. After every chapter we enjoy vibrant discussions of the study and the women in it. It has given us a new perspective on the role God has set forth for us.

This is an absolutely wonderful encouraging book for anyone. Women, to enhance their christian walk and men to see what the womens walk is & was!!!

Carolyn Custis James' book offers hope to women who don't fit the traditional Christian woman mould (wife and mother and support to husband's ministry). She herself found that marriage and motherhood came very late and consequently she wrestled with her position and value within the church as a single woman; but these are not modern problems, she found many examples in the Bible of women who couldn't fit into those roles and yet had great value.

The author features women from both Old and New Testaments - Eve, Mrs Noah, Sarah, Hagar, Tamar, Hannah, Esther, Mary of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene and the women of Philippi - who have different stories of their contribution to God's plans. These stories also show the failures of the women as well as their successes and some, such as Tamar, are partially rehabilitated through a fresh look at the story. Many of these women struggled against cultural situations that are no longer relevant to our Western society and yet the underlying themes were all valid.

The book is well-written in a light and readable style with good scholarship underlying the historical settings. Each chapter has a study guide at the end so I imagine this book might work well for a women's group. The overall conclusion of so many of these stories is that women don't have to just be meek, mild, pure homemakers but can be strong warriors for God alongside their husbands, if they have them, or on their own. Definitely an encouraging read for any women who want to make a difference for God.

I cannot say it any better than the many other reviewers who have indicated that this is the "bible" of camera collecting references! Exhaustive references, historic information, pictures, auction selling prices, the "whole nine yards!"

The only camera reference book better than this one is Jim McKeown's next edition!

Jim McKeown's books are the most comprehensive sources of accurate information on cameras in the world. Period. Other books may give more information on specific cameras, but if you are to have but one source to refer to,choose McKeown. He will never disappoint you.
Another wonderful camera expert and writer (they don't always go together) is Ivor Matanle. His two books are treasures. But if you want facts, go with McKeown. You will return over and over to his book. Speaking face to face with him is most rewarding. You realize you are learning from one of the world authorities.
Wonderful pictures, camera values (prices) rarity,etc. This book contains cameras even experts haven't heard about. But McKeown is the expert of experts, and you will keep this large,heavy, over 900 page book near just for the fun of reading it. Am I enthused? Yes! I have bought his books since the 4th edition in 1983-84, and always been pleased.
A lengthy review? Yes, but this book deserves much praise!

I use this book often, I have found that in addition to the obveous use (prise guide) there is a fair amount of history that helped with research. Contains much useful information.

I have had the pleasure of owning (and still own) the 1976 Guide To Antique Cameras by Mckeown. It has been many years since then and the price for a guide has really risen. As an Antique dealer I found myself getting interested in collectible cameras once again. I knew I needed a guide and reviewed a 1996 copy a friend owned my McKeowen and was convinced this is the one to own. My library consists of at least 200 books on Antiques and 50 price guides on Art, Jewelry, clothing, Orientalia to name a few. I hesitated at the price for this guide, but after reasearching the options I knew this was the concise price guide for me. I own it and am happy I chose it and it makes me MONEY just owning it. I have 30 years of Amatuer collecting and selling under my belt and I really don't need a price guide just my wits, (that's what I told myself) but it just makes it soooo easy to reinforce my experience with a reference and value basis for my risks. Leica III,a,b,c,g, Mentor Reflex, Zeiss-Ikon Miroflex, Robot 35mm, Hasselblad, Kodak Field Cameras, Sept 35mm camera projector, TDC 3d projector & Nikon Cameras are a few of the cameras I have used this informational price guide in evaluating.

My McKeown's price guide has been an invaluable tool in selling old camera's at online auction sites. It not only gives you a solid idea of what a camera is worth, but it many cases it gives you some history and background as well.

There are pictures of almost every camera listed to help you identify your exact model, and it explains in detail the difference between similar models.

I can't think of anything that could be added to make this a more complete pricing guide.